Antenna mounting tips?

[Andy7]

When I suddenly saw one of my antennae whipping about in my FPV, I decided that it was probably about time I gave some more serious thought to how best to mount them on my quad.


I've been using a couple of cable ties in the top plate, then heat-shrink with the ant inside it. Sticks up nicely, but a little floppy. And I don't know how, but those cable ties seem to snap at the base FAR too often. Not by prop-strike, I'm sure becasue they're WAY out of the way and the break point is out of range of the prop by a mile. 

I kind of like the horizontal mounting at 90deg behind the front arms. Less likely to get sucked into the props in flight, but surely 100% likely to strike unless I land delicately on smooth, level ground. Does that have implications for orientation with my TX though? I thought it was best to have them in the same orientation?

Then there's antenna tubes. I'd use those for top mounting if I could figure out what to use or where to get them. I've got one of those printed antenna holders from HF which I'm playing with at the moment, and it looks like a thin tube might fit into that. The mounting holes are too far apart, so it's superglue or epoxy time.

Tips anyone?

[VaNDAL_UK]

I always mount them on the arms sticking out with heat shrink, Never had an issue with them getting caught in the props or the cable ties breaking at the root.

[Cheredanine]

I got fed up with prop strikes on antenna many years ago, then I found these:
http://multirotorspares.co.uk/over-the-standoff-receiver-antenna-tube-holders-made-from-flexable-tpu-4-pieces-by-plastic-spider/

As long as you have a pair of standoffs, or one horizontal one they work, use them on pretty much every quad until I shifted to crossfire.

Aside from the fact I don’t get prop strikes, it allows you to put antenna in the optimum position

[CornishMule]

Hey Andy,

I've have also been experimenting lately with antenna mounts, ideally I'd have a 3D printed mount to stick antenna tubes into, but I don't.

I currently tape antenna tubes to cable ties, which gives better rigidity compared with cable ties alone, but does this solution sometimes suffers from breaking the cable tie as you mentioned... 

I found these tubes on Amazon were the cheapest around at £1.90 for 5 x 30cm lengths - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009H0U3CY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

In terms of placement I have the mounted at the back of my Chameleon, one straight up (perpendicular to the top plate) and another straight out the back.

[Two-Six]

Antenna tubes: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221834608206?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

I think my way of holding the antennas is good, many crashes later and everything is still a-ok.  I used FIMO to make a little piece that holds the antenna pipes.  This is stuck on to of the quad with a velcro strip and they stickup vertically, underneath where I pushed it onto the quad deck, some fimo squadged into to some holes on the deck and these help hold things in one place too.

Then some cable ties hold the assembly down really well.  Moreover in a crash there is some bend and flex in everything so it all just bends or in the worse case the fimo mount twists in the cable ties.  In the event of it getting ripped totally off then the mount can separate from the antenna wires easily too

[atomiclama]

I used some form of those antenna tubes for awhile, found they were easy to break. May have been a different manufacturer but wasn't impressed, zip ties and sticky tape for me.

If the zip tie breaks you just need a bigger one.

[UrbanFPV]

When I suddenly saw one of my antennae whipping about in my FPV, I decided that it was probably about time I gave some more serious thought to how best to mount them on my quad.


I've been using a couple of cable ties in the top plate, then heat-shrink with the ant inside it. Sticks up nicely, but a little floppy. And I don't know how, but those cable ties seem to snap at the base FAR too often. Not by prop-strike, I'm sure becasue they're WAY out of the way and the break point is out of range of the prop by a mile. 

I kind of like the horizontal mounting at 90deg behind the front arms. Less likely to get sucked into the props in flight, but surely 100% likely to strike unless I land delicately on smooth, level ground. Does that have implications for orientation with my TX though? I thought it was best to have them in the same orientation?

Then there's antenna tubes. I'd use those for top mounting if I could figure out what to use or where to get them. I've got one of those printed antenna holders from HF which I'm playing with at the moment, and it looks like a thin tube might fit into that. The mounting holes are too far apart, so it's superglue or epoxy time.

Tips anyone?

Well Ive got bored of snipping antennas whenever they were mounted on top. Almost all my quads have them sticking out of the arms pointing down now just using cable ties and heat shring.. Not had a single snip since.

Sent from my SM-T713 using Tapatalk

[Andy7]

I got fed up with prop strikes on antenna many years ago, then I found these:
http://multirotorspares.co.uk/over-the-standoff-receiver-antenna-tube-holders-made-from-flexable-tpu-4-pieces-by-plastic-spider/

As long as you have a pair of standoffs, or one horizontal one they work, use them on pretty much every quad until I shifted to crossfire.

Aside from the fact I don’t get prop strikes, it allows you to put antenna in the optimum position

The tubes look great, but the mounts look like they'd snap in a gentle breeze, let alone one of MY crashes! :)

[Cheredanine]

The tubes look great, but the mounts look like they'd snap in a gentle breeze, let alone one of MY crashes! :)

Never broke one mate, even cut them in half to turn one into two for smaller quads and still not broke one

[Andy7]

Never broke one mate, even cut them in half to turn one into two for smaller quads and still not broke one

The mounts? yeah, tubes look good though.

[Cheredanine]

You can just buy the tubes but honestly, the whole things are just excellent bits of kit

[Elmattbo]

If you’re struggling to find antenna straws then cocktail straws are available in every posh bar!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Andy7]

If you’re struggling to find antenna straws then cocktail straws are available in every posh bar!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Um, I might need a few. Better get collecting.

[hoverfly]

https://www.lakelandflytying.com/facetresults.aspx?Term=tubes

Have a look at the above, lots to choose from. Some available in glitter  ..

[Jakalas]

It's been mentioned already, I just mount mine on the arms. Works like a charm.

[Lamaule]

It's been mentioned already, I just mount mine on the arms. Works like a charm.

So pretty!

Sent from my VTR-L09 using Tapatalk

[Cheredanine]

It's been mentioned already, I just mount mine on the arms. Works like a charm.

Wow, a cabriolet quad!

[hoverfly]

Wow, a cabriolet quad!

Do you mean a rag top but without the rag.. ::)

[Andy7]

It's been mentioned already, I just mount mine on the arms. Works like a charm.

Mounted mine on the arms now - impatient to get fixed and in the air.
Looks pretty nice. So presumably then not a massive issue with alignment with tx antenna then?

[ched]

It's been mentioned already, I just mount mine on the arms. Works like a charm.

That's a nice neat build.